This Beloved Mechanic Was Zoned Out of His Own Garage
77,134
Published 2024-05-13
ij.org/issues/zoning-justice/
It was not always this way; modern zoning has strayed far from its beginnings. And that departure has led to innumerable social and economic problems. IJ’s Zoning Justice Project offers solutions.
All Comments (21)
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You know the American dream is officially over when a Kenyan immigrant is like "F this, I'm better off going back to Kenya"
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All zoning has the capacity to allow for "grandfather" clauses.... he was there first..... allow him to continue his work
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Starbucks and Macaroni Grill have to be the 2 worst examples he could have made. Gross.
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When a government believes minimum wage retail is better (worker pay wise) than a full service auto repair business - they've lost their mind.
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If i'm not allowed to have a vegetable garden in my yard, who actually owns "my" land??? 🤔
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I'm so glad that the Institute for Justice exists, but at the same time, it's sad that they're the only way we can get true justice anymore. The legal system is so screwed up in this country in so many areas, that without the IfJ, regular citizens would be at the mercy of corrupt officials and authority figures. How sad is that?
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Translation: “we don’t want your kind and your little business giving people a negative perception of the yuppies who will pay more premium here so we can raise theTaxes.
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We are being sued for $10,000,000 by a councilmember as retaliation for petitioning to incorporate a village to take back property rights and fix bad zoning regulations from our Town.
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Government zoning laws are to protect and service the connected - NOT THE PEOPLE. "Stripping property rights" in violation of The Constitution is their goal!
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I remember a mechanic who was zoned out of his shop and made the city pay dearly for it
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The Institute for Justice is one of a very few organizations that I enthusiastically support. Their support for individuals or small businesses that are being victimized, often by a bureaucracy corrupted by cozy relationships with big money campaign supporters. Social injustice abounds and the Institute for Justice is one of the best and most successful protectors of our rights.
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Google street view has numerous images of this location, all the way back to 2007. Henga ran a CLEAN shop. There's not one piece of trash in any image, there's not one broken car outside the fence, and no car is still there in a later image. That is highly unusual for these small shops. Most of them end up looking more like a car graveyard. Also the location sat empty for FIVE YEARS after they ran him out. I guess Macaroni Grill didn't want it after all.
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Thank you for your work IJ! This man immigrated here and contributed to our country & economy. Then the ruling class destroys it seemingly overnight.
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Between unreasonable zoning laws in HOAs it's a wonder anyone has a place to live anymore.
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Two common issues are presented in this video: 1) NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard), the acknowledgment that something is needed but the unwillingness to have it near you. 2) Politicians finding any reason to deny solutions so they can have something to campaign on in perpetuity.
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I'm a small-business blacksmith, and my neighborhood impact is very minimal. And yet whenever a city zoning or planning commission gets involved, I'm right in this man's shoes. I wish I lived in a country with actual freedom instead of jingoistic claims that we have freedom. We don't.
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It’s heartbreaking to see someone move back to Kenya for a better chance at the American dream
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Shouldn’t he be “grandfathered” in? If you had a legal business there one day and it was approved and then they just re-zone the area and now u are illegal or not “approved” to be setup there now 🤦🏽♂️
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It seems that, at least in Mr. Hinga's case, the prohibition against ex post facto laws would apply. He was legally operating his business in compliance with the extant zoning rules, so any change should allow him to keep operating until he himself decides to move or quit.
